This invention relates to apparatus for heating such as coal and wood burning stoves.
The formation of layers of creosote on the interior surfaces of stoves and chimney flues has long plagued users of wood and coal stoves. This oily, sticky, tar-like substance results from the burning of wood or coal and is deposited wherever such gaseous combustion effluents are exposed to surfaces cooler than the vaporization temperature of creosote. This highly flammable residue usually forms in passageways and on interior walls of flues above the area of combustion, since those areas are generally cool enough for upwardly moving, draft-borne creosote gases to condense upon them. Every year, a great number of individuals suffer losses due to fires caused by a dangerous build-up and ignition of creosote within such flues. Periodic cleaning of these creosote deposits to ensure against these fires is a costly, tedious, and messy task. In addition, wood and coal stoves which are currently commercially available, often require large combustion chambers and accordingly, large quantities of wood or coal in order to heat typical living quarters. This drawback is caused by the limited and inefficient exchange of heat energy from the burning fuel to the ambient air in the room. The housing of such a stove has limited surface area for delivery of heat to the surrounding air and therefore, must consume large quantities of fuel in order to be effective for space heating purposes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wood or coal stove for which such troublesome cleaning chores are reduced, and the risk of such dangerous fires are greatly diminished by the incorporation of means for self-cleaning removal of undesirable creosote layers during the operation of the stove.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact, efficient, and high heat exchange wood or coal stove which consumes relatively little fuel and occupies less space than conventional stoves in relation to the amount of heat which is supplied for space heating.